DoH puts positive case count at 135 with Wednesday night’s report

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — American Samoa is expecting about 13,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to arrive this Saturday while the community spread of the coronavirus continues — reaching the territory’s total count of 135 — as of 7p.m. on Mar. 2, according to the American Samoa COVID-19 Outbreak Situational Report issued Wednesday night.

According to the report, 41 new COVID-19 positives were identified in the past 24-hours bringing American Samoa’s total cases to 135 confirmed community transmissions of the deadly coronavirus, according to the Health Department’s Situational Report released last night.

There are no reported hospitalization or deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, Mar. 2 and those who tested positive were served with a Home Isolation Directive for 14-days.

As with previous confirmed cases, all family members of the same household of the new positives are considered close contacts and are being served with a 14-day Home Quarantine Directive.

While DoH and the COVID-19 Task Force continue to push for COVID-19 vaccinations, Tuesday’s report pointed out that the supply was depleted and there is no more vaccine for adults on the island.

Tuesday’s report says that American Samoa is expecting 13,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to arrive this Saturday, Mar. 5.

As of Mar. 1, total population that is  fully vaccinated is 80.4%, according to the situational report.

DOH CHALLENGES

DoH’s situational report to the COVID-19 Task Force on Monday this week shed some light on challenges faced by the department dealing with those who are directed to home quarantine/ isolation.

Among the challenges are: “bogus phone numbers” provided; no cell phones/ landlines for some; incorrect villages; some family members living in the same household yet data obtained showed different villages; some refused to release any information they have already shared with LBJ and DoH; and patients lying about their whereabouts, household numbers, etc.

Another challenge identified by DoH deals with those directed to home quarantine are not taking it “seriously”. For example, “an individual we went to locate was not wearing a mask upon arrival and this person was around children and adults from that household,” said DoH.

Enforcement of home quarantine/ isolation of those testing positive along with their family members has been a big concern from within the community that has questioned whether those in isolation and quarantine at home are complying with the directives issued to them.

Enforcement of Home Isolation and Quarantine is conducted by Department of Public Safety and Office of Samoan Affairs, according to the task force.

The EpiNet Team conducts daily calls to Moderate/ High risk positive cases for assessment for those in quarantine and isolation at home.